Coal agitator for mechanical stokers



R. S. RILEY.

COAL AGITATOR FOR MECHANICAL STOKERS.'

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28) I9I9.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

P'rs'r Erica.

ROBERT SANFORD RILEY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR T0 SANFORD RILEY STOKER CO., vOF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSA-A CEUSETTS.

COAL AGITATOR FOR MECANICAL STOKERS.

Patented Apr. 1S', 1922.

Application filed. October 28, 1919. Serial No. 333,917.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT SANFORD RILEY, a citizen of the United btates, residing at Worcester, in .the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Coal Agitator for Mechanical Stokers, of which the following is Aa specification.

This invention constitutes an improvement o'ver my Patent No. 1,208,011, patented December 12, 1916, and has similar objects in view.

The principal object oflthis invention is to provide a more efficient and .positive device for the general purposes set forth in said patent, and especially to provide a construction which will certainly break up any longitudinal or transverse arch formed in the hopper without the use of any projecting cross rods orblades that are likely to become broken or bent.

Although I preferably construct the a 'tator in two parts movable in different dlrections, each part has its own function to perform. One breaks up a longitudinal arch of coal and the other a transverse arch.

I preferably pivot these two parts together and connect one of them with the coal discharging plunger so that this part of the agitator will have its lower portion arranged to move with the plunger which will move its upper end and the free end of the other part ofthe agitator, up and down in the hopper near one wall thereof. In the form shown in the drawings, I use two loop-shaped parts, one of them having its two legs pivoted to the top of the hopper near the rear or discharge side and having. thebottom portion extending down into the coal near the slanting front side of the hopper, and having a'range of motion u and down said front side. To this are4 pivl oted near its free end or bow portion, the legs of the other part which extend down from it to the plunger to which it is connected. In this way, the free loop end of the upper part of the agitator moves up and down near ,the inclined front wall of the hopper lso as to break up the end of an arch formed longitudinally withrespect to the plunger.

The'lower part moves with the plunger,

its two legs cutting through and breaking up the ends of any, arch extending trans-l versely over the top of the plunger. I connect this lower part loosely with the plunger instead of positively pivoting it at a definite point so that it can have some play at that end.j This lessens the` danger of breakage. I. also make this part of the agitator so that it will be capable of yielding to get past an especially rigid obstruction. This I do by making it of spring which has' the additional advantage that when it yields to pass an obstructiornlit will then spring back quickly and thus tend to jar the coal down. Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of one section or trough of a hopper of a mechanical Stoker with a preferred embodiment of this invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in the other extreme position, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on. the linev or sections 10 along the bottom of which the coal is forced by reciprocating plungers 11. These troughs have near their places of discharge interior sla'nting` surfaces 12. Coal in a hopper section of the'shape indicated tends to arch therein when the plunger 11 is drawn back as shown in Fig. 1. These arches rest at their opposite ends on the surfaces 12 and extend to the guard plates 14 which are shown as covering the upper ends of the surfaces 12. A longitudinal arch also tends to form over each trough. By this invention, I preferably donot depend on breaking up one arch but positively breaking up both.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that each -plunger has a notch 13 in the top.

through the sides of any arch formed across the top of the trough. The ends of the legs extend upward and are bent inwardly at 25 to constitute two pivots by which this part 24 is connected with a second yoke-shaped part 26. This is pivoted by stationary pivots 27 on the rear vertical wall of the hopper and controls the motion of the part 24 at its upper end. The straight end of the partl 26 also swings up and down near the opposite front wall of the hopper about the pivots 27 to break up one end of any arch that may form in the hopper longitudinally with respect to the direction of mot-ion of the plun- Although the entire agitator is operated by the horizontal reciprocation of the plunger at the bottom of the trough and the top of it is pivoted in stationary position, the path of the agitator part 26 is limited as above specified and it is forced to perform the functions required of it. It necessarily loosens the coal at one end of the arch at every stroke of the hopper. This does away with the necessity of using cross rods mentioned in my above specified patent and yet the breaking up of both the transverse and longitudinal arches is insured.

The agitator, it will be seen, comprises two parts, each serving its own purpose, but cooperating so as to move together. Either part can be used alone and operated by itself, but their co-action is an important feature of this invention. y

It is to be observed that I have departed from the usual .ideas in use in this art by modifying the extreme rigidity of construction heretofore thought necessary. This I do in two ways. Instead of pivoting the yoke 24 to a fixed point on the plunger, I connect it loosely, as by the link 23. This gives some play so that if a lump of coal is caught between the discharge side of the hopper and the yoke 24, the latter will not have to crush its way clear through it but can lag behind a little.v

I also make this yoke 24 of spring steel so that instead of shearing directly through any obstruction, it can give slightly to one side or the other.v Thus, it can find an leasy path although it has to go through the arch just as positively as if it were rigid. As it passes a lump of coal, instead of crushing through it, it will spring back to normal position again. This causes it to vibrate slightly and adds to its efficiency for the purpose of dislodging the end of the arch through which it is passing.

Although I have illustrated and described only a sin le form of my invention, I am aware of t e fact that modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is 1. In a feeding mechanism, the combina tion of a hopper and means for positively forcing material out of the bottom thereof, with an agitator in the hopper comprising two parts connected in the hopper with said means and movable thereby in different directions substantially .atright angles to each other.

2. In a coal-feeding mechanism, the coinbination with a hopper and means for feeding the coal out of the bottom of the hopper, with an agitator in the hopper comprising two parts movable' in different directions, one of said parts comprising a bar movable up and down on i. one side of the hopper and arranged to break up the end of an arch of coal extending in a transverse direction, the other movable transversely near the bottom of the hopper and eX- tending up and down therein to beak up an arch extending in a longitudinal direction.

3. In a coal-feeding mechanism, the conibination of a hopper and a plunger positioned to feed the coal from the bottom thereof, with an agitator located in the hopper and comprising two parts connected together, one movable with the coal feeding plunger and the other movable transversely to the direction ofmotion thereof,

4. In a feeding mechanism, the combination-with a hopper, of an agitator therein comprising two paits pivotally connected together, one of said parts being pivoted at a xed point near one wall of the hopper, and the other on a movable pivot near the bottom of the hopper.

5. An agitator for a hopper comprising two parts pivotally connected together, one of said parts being pivoted to swing abouta stationary axis, and means connected-with the other end of the other part for moving both parts.

6. An agitator for a hopper comprising two parts pivotally connected together, one of said parts being ypivoted to swing about a stationary axis, and means connected with the other e'nd of the other partfor moving it in a straight line and thereby swinging the other part about its pivot.

7. The `combination lwith a hopper, of a yoke-shaped agitator part located therein, reciprocating means for moving the lower end of said part, the two legs of the yoke extending upwardly, and a second part pivotally connected with the hopper andalso pivotally connected with said agitator part.

l 8. In a coal-feeding mechanism, the coinbination with a plunger for feeding coal, of a spring steel yoke-shaped agitator part loosely connected with the plunger at one end and having its other end pivotally supported above, and a pivoted yoke part for up and down in the hopper as the lower endmoves longitudinally at the bottom thereof.

9. The combination of a hopper, a yokeshaped agitator part pivoted near one side of said hopper and extending substantially across the hopper, an agitator part of yokeshaped form pivoted to the first-named part, its ends depending therefrom, anda reciprocating plunger to which the lower endr of the last-named part is connected.

10. The combination with a hopper and a reciprocating plunger for feeding coal therefrom, of anagitator part connected with the plunger and operated thereby, and having meansfor breaking up both ends of any arch across the trough of the hopper transverse to the axis of the plunger, and a second agitator part loperated by the rst in position for breaking up one end of any arch formed in the hopper and extending longitudinally with respect to' the axis of the plunger.

l1. The combination with a hopper having a trough at the bottom with slanting sides, and a discharging plunger movable along the trough, of an agitator part extending substantially across the trough over the plunger and connected therewith to be moved thereby and extending up near the sides of the trough substantially parallel Awith the sides and then above them, and

means for controlling the motion of the upper end thereof. v

12. In a feeding mechanism, the combination with a hopper and means at the bottom thereof for ceding material o ut of the hopper in a transverse direction, of an agitator part extendinglongitudinally therein, an agltator part connected therewith and connected to be operated by said means-to move transversely in .the hopper and to move the irst'named agitator part up and down near a longitudinal wall of the hopper.

13.- The combination with a hopper, and a discharging plunger, of a` spring steel .agi-v tator having one end loosely pivoted to thel plunger and the other endlocated above it and movable freely, and means for guiding said freely movable end to move up and down near one end ofthe hopper, but in the arc of .a circle.

14:. rlhe combination with a hopper, of an .agitator pivoted to one side thereof and extending across it, said agitator being of yoke shape with its closed end at the opposite side from the pivot, and means for swinging said closed end up and down in the hopper along said opposite side.

15. The combination with a' hopper and a discharging plunger therefor, of a yielding agitator connected with the plunger by .a relatively movable connection.

16. The combination with a hopper and a discharging plunger therefor, of a` yielding agitator connected withvthe plunger to be operated thereby.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

ROBERT SANFORD RILEY. 

